


the only lonely casuality

by SiderumInCaelo



Category: Madam Secretary
Genre: Episode: s05e04 Requiem, Feminist Themes, Gen, Not Canon Compliant, Past Non-Consensual Touching
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-30
Updated: 2019-01-30
Packaged: 2019-10-19 04:19:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17594501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SiderumInCaelo/pseuds/SiderumInCaelo
Summary: “I punched him because hegrabbed my ass, Gordon!” she shouts.  “You think I want to see him again?”Or, a version ofRequiem(Season 5, Episode 4) where Andrada's past behavior isn't played for laughs.





	the only lonely casuality

**Author's Note:**

> Title is taken from "Hercules" by Sara Bareilles.
> 
> Some of the dialogue is taken directly from the episode.

“Sure Elizabeth, you go get our war dead back.  Then I’ll go to Oslo and negotiate that treaty on global warming.”

“Gordon, I didn’t ask for this,” she says, trying to force down her frustration.  “It’s coming from President Dalton and we all –"

“Serve at the pleasure of the President, yeah,” he finishes.  He still doesn’t sound particularly mollified, but Elizabeth doesn’t have the patience to soothe his bruised ego.

“Just tell me I’ve got DOD’s full cooperation, so we can get the remains back as fast as possible,” she asks, far more tired than she should be this early in the day.

He agrees, but it doesn’t feel like much of a victory.

* * *

“Ma’am, if I could put a finer point on it, Andrada is a chauvinist who is unlikely to meet with a woman whose last interaction with him left him with a deviated septum.”

“Yes, Kat, I’m aware of how Andrada sees me,” she says wearily.

* * *

Gordon shows up at her office, because that’s just what her day needs.

“Heard you struck out with the Kentucky senator,” he says, sounding entirely too close to smug.  “And Andrada,” he adds.

“Yes, which is why I’m flying to Manila to appeal to him directly,” she responds, trying to sound business-as-usual.

It doesn’t help.  “In person?” Gordon sputters.  “Are you going to try punching him again?”

“I punched him because he _grabbed my ass_ , Gordon!” she shouts, anger finally spilling over.  “You think I _want_ to see him again?”  She should stop, she knows, but the words just keep coming.  “You think I want to spend my time cajoling a racist senator?  You think I like having my family thrown out of a restaurant for something I can’t control?  But the President gave me this task and I’m going to do it, no matter how difficult people make it.”

The awkward silence sets in immediately.  “Sorry for snapping,” she sighs.  “Now, I really do have work to do.”

* * *

She doesn’t think she needs to, but she tells her detail anyway: “Don’t let Andrada get me alone with him, okay?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he says, and she’s more grateful than she should be for the lack of additional commentary.

* * *

“Nice work with Andrada,” Russell says when she returns.  “And with Gordon, or so I hear.”

Elizabeth groans.  “That made it to the gossip mill?”

But Russell shakes his head.  “Gordon told me off when I, ah, made light of your last encounter with Andrada, and I wheedled the story out of him.

“I’m sorry for teasing you about Andrada,” he adds, quieter.  “I should have realized it was a sensitive topic.”

She shrugs, the concern making her uncomfortable, somehow.  “I still shouldn’t have taken it out on Gordon.  Dealing with arrogant foreign leaders is part of the job, after all.”

“And you deal with them very well, Elizabeth.  That's true even if you need help with an extra-obnoxious one," he says simply.

"Thanks, Russell," she says, and finally manages a smile.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to leave a comment, even if it's just to yell about the show!


End file.
